Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 110 Part 6.djvu/175

 PUBLIC LAW 104-325—OCT. 19, 1996 110 STAT. 3997 marine resource companies that are involved in exploration of the marine environment or development of marine mineral resources. "(iii) INTEREST. —None of the members may have an interest in a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement being evaluated by the panel. "(B) No COMPENSATION. —^A review panel member who is not otherwise a Federal employee shall receive no compensation for performing duties under this section, except that, while engaged in the performance of duties away from the home or regular place of business of the member, the member may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as a person employed intermittently in the Government service under section 5703 of title 5, United States Code. "(3) EVALUATION,—^A competitive review panel shall base an evaluation of a proposal on criteria developed by the Secretary that shall include— "(A) the merits of the proposal; "(B) the research methodology and costs of the proposal; "(C) the capabiHty of the entity submitting the proposal and any other participating entity to perform the proposed work and provide in-land contributions; "(D) the amount of matching funds provided by the entity submitting the proposal or provided by other Federal, State, or private entities; "(E) the extent of collaboration with other Federal, State, or private entities; "(F) in the case of a noncommercial entity, the existence of a cooperative agreement with a commercial entity that provides for collaboration in the proposed research; "(G) whether the proposal promotes responsible environmental stewardship; and "(H) such other factors as the Secretary considers appropriate. " (c) LIMITATIONS.— "(1) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES. —Not more than 10 percent of the amount made available to carry out this section during a fiscal year may be used by the Secretary for expenses associated with administration of the program authorized by this section. "(2) CONSTRUCTION COSTS.— None of the funds made available under this section may be used for the construction of a new building or the acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or gdteration of an existing building (including site grading and improvement and architect fees). "(d) REPORTS.— An eligible entity that receives a grant or contract or enters into a cooperative agreement under this section shall submit an annual progress report and a final technical report to the Secretary that— "(1) describes project activities, implications of the project, the significance of the project to marine mineral research, identification, assessment, and exploration, and potential commercial and economic benefits and effects of the project; and

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